On this day Bahlīm K., one of the chief servants of ʿĀdil K. came and waited on me. As he had chosen my service out of sincerity, I bestowed on him unstinted favours, and presented him with a dress of honour, a horse, a sword, and 10,000 darbs, with the mansab of 1,000 personal and 500 horse. At this time a petition came from K͟hān Daurān, stating that: “Your Majesty, from the perfection of kindness and knowledge of his worth, had appointed to the government of Thatta (Sind) an old slave, notwithstanding his great age and weak sight. As this weak old man was exceedingly bent and decrepit, and had not in him the ability to exert himself or to ride, he prays that he may be excused military service, and that he may be enrolled in the army of prayer.” At his request, I ordered the chief Diwans to confirm him in the pargana of Khushāb,[27] with a revenue of 3,000,000 of dāms, and which he for a long time had held as a tank͟hwāh jagir, and which had become peopled and cultivated, by way of providing for his expenses, so that he might pass his time in easy circumstances. His eldest son, by name S͟hāh Muḥammad, was promoted to the mansab of 1,000 personal and 600 horse, his second son, Yaʿqūb Beg, obtaining that of 700 personal and 350 horse. The third son, Asad Beg, was promoted to the mansab of 300 personal and 50 horse.
On Saturday, the 1st of the Divine month of S͟hahriwar, I sent dresses of honour for the rainy season to the Ātālīq Commander-in-Chief K͟hān-k͟hānān Jān-sipār and the other great Amīrs, who had been sent on duty to the Deccan, by the hand of Yazdān.[28]
As the purpose of visiting the eternal spring of the rose-garden of Kashmir was settled in my mind, I sent off Nūru-d-dīn Qulī to hasten on before, to repair as far as was possible the ups and downs of the Pūnch[29] route to it, and to prepare it, so that the passage of laden beasts over difficult hilltops might be accomplished with ease, and that the men should not undergo labour and hardship. A large number of artificers, such as stone-cutters, carpenters, spadesmen, etc., were despatched with him, to whom an elephant was also given. On the eve of Thursday, the 13th, having gone to the garden of Nūr-manzil, I passed the time in enjoyment in that rose-garden of delight until Sunday, the 16th. Rāja Bikramājīt Baghela came from the fort of Māndpūr, which is his native place, and had the good fortune to kiss the threshold, and by way of offering presented an elephant and a jewelled plume. Maqṣūd K. was honoured with the mansab of 1,000 personal and 130 horse. On Thursday, the 20th, my son S͟hāh Parwīz produced two elephants as an offering, and they were ordered to be included in the private stud. On the 24th of the aforesaid month the feast of the solar weighing took place in the palace of Maryamu-z-zamānī, and my 51st year according to the solar months began in gladness and victory. It is hoped that the period of my life may be passed in obedience to God (to whom be glory!). To Sayyid Jalāl, s. Sayyid Muḥammad, the grandson (?) of S͟hāh ʿĀlam Buk͟hārī, an account of whom has been written among the events of my Gujarat expedition, I gave leave to return. I gave him a female elephant for his riding, as well as his expenses. On the eve of Sunday,[30] the 30th, corresponding with the 14th S͟hawwāl, when the disk of the moon was perfect (at full moon) a moonlight feast was prepared in the buildings of the garden which overlook the River Jumna, and a very pleasant entertainment took place. On the 1st of the Divine month, out of the veined (jauhar-dār) spotted tooth (walrus) which my son S͟hāh-Jahān had given me as an offering, I ordered to be cut off sufficient for two dagger-hilts and a thumb-stall:[31] it came out of a beautiful colour and was very choice. I ordered the Ustāds (masters) Pūran and Kalyān, who had no rivals in the art of engraving,[32] to make dagger-hilts of a shape that was approved at this time, and has become known as the Jahāngīrī fashion. At the same time the blade and the sheath and fastenings were given to skilful men, each of whom was unique in his age in his art. Truly, it was all carried out according to my wish. One hilt came out coloured in such a way as to create astonishment. It turned out of all the seven colours, and some of the flowers looked as if a skilful painter[33] had depicted them in black lines round it with a wonder-working pencil. In short, it was so delicate that I never wish it to be apart from me for a moment. Of all the gems of great price that are in the treasury I consider it the most precious. On Thursday I girded it auspiciously and with joy round my waist, and the masters who in their completion had exercised great skill and taken great pains were rewarded, Ustād Pūran with the gift of an elephant, a dress of honour, and a golden bracelet for the wrist, which the people of India call Kara,[34] and Kalyān with the title of ʿAjāʾib-dast (wondrous hand), and increased mansab, a dress of honour, and a jewelled bracelet (pahūnchī), and in the same way every one according to his circumstances and skill received favours.
As it had been represented to me that Amānu-llah, s. Mahābat K., having fought with the rebel Aḥdād, had defeated his army, and had made many of the Afghans—who are black-faced and black-hearted—the harvest of his blood-drinking sword, I sent him a special sword in order to dignify him.
On Saturday the 5th, news came of the death of Rāja Sūraj Singh, who had died a natural death in the Deccan. He was the descendant of Māldeo, who was one of the principal Zamindars of Hindustan, and had a zamindari which equalled that of the Rānā, and he had even overcome him in one battle. There is a full account of him (Māldeo) in the Akbar-nāma. Rāja Sūraj Singh, through the advantage of his being brought up by the late king (Akbar), and this suppliant at the throne of God, reached high rank and great dignities. His territory surpassed that of his father or grandfather.[35] He had a son called Gaj Singh,[36] whom he entrusted with all his administrative affairs. As I knew him to be capable and worthy of favour, I promoted him to the mansab of 3,000 personal and 2,000 horse, with a standard and the title of Raja, and his younger brother to that of 500 personal and 250 horse, and gave him a jagir in his native country.
On Thursday, the 10th of Mihr, at the request of Āṣaf K., I went to his house built on the bank of the Jumna. He has erected a very fine bath-house (ḥammām), with which I was much delighted. After bathing, a feast of cups was held, and my private servants were made happy with cups of delight. Having chosen out of his offerings what I approved, I gave the remainder to him. What I took of his offering might be of the value of Rs. 30,000. Bāqir K., faujdār of Multan, was honoured with a standard.
Previously to this, according to order, they had planted trees on both sides from Agra as far as the River of Attock (the Indus), and had made an avenue, and in the same way from Agra to Bengal. I now ordered that from Agra to Lahore they should put up a pillar[37] (mīl) at every koss, to be the sign of a koss, and at every three koss make a well, so that wayfarers might travel in ease and contentment, and not endure hardships from thirst or the heat of the sun.
On Thursday, the 24th of Mihr, the festival of the Dasahrā was held. After the custom of India, they decorated the horses and produced them before me. After I had seen the horses they brought some of the elephants. As Muʿtamid K. on last New Year’s Day had not made any offering, at this festival he presented a golden tablet (tak͟ht), a ruby ring, a piece of coral (bussad), and other items. The tablet was beautifully made. The total value of the offering was Rs. 16,000. As he had brought the things from pure sincerity and loyalty, they were accepted. On this day Zabar-dast K. was promoted to the mansab of 1,000 personal and 400 horse. As the day of the Dasahrā had been fixed as the time of starting, I embarked on a boat with all happy omens and pleasure in the evening, and went on to my goal. I halted for eight days at the first stage that the men might come on, after making all preparations at leisure. Mahābat K. had sent apples from Bangash by runners (dāk-chokī). They arrived very fresh, and were of excellent flavour. I was greatly pleased in eating them. They cannot be compared with the sīb-i-k͟hūb (“the good[38] apples”?) of Kabul which I ate there, or with the Samarkand apples that they bring every year. For sweetness and delicacy of flavour they cannot be compared with either of the latter (i.e., the Bangash apples were far better). I had until now never seen such delicate and delicious apples. They say that in Upper Bangash, near Lashkar-dara,[39] there is a village called Sīv Rām, in which there are three trees of this apple, and although they have made many trials, they have never found so good ones in any other place. I gave Sayyid Ḥasan, ambassador of my brother S͟hāh ʿAbbās, a dish of these apples in order that he might tell me if there were any better apples in ʿIrāq. He said: “In the whole of Persia the apples of Isfahan are preferred, and they are of the same quality as these.”
On Thursday, the 1st of the Divine month of Ābān, I went on pilgrimage to the mausoleum of the late king (Akbar) (may the lights of Allah be his testimony!), and rubbed the head of supplication on the threshold, the abode of angels, and presented 100 muhars as nazar. All the Begams and other ladies, having sought the blessing of circulating round that shrine, which is the circling-place of angels, presented offerings. On the eve of Friday a lofty assembly was held of the holy men (Mas͟hāʾik͟h), the turbaned people (arbāb-i-ʿamāʾim—i.e., ecclesiastics, etc.), Ḥuffāz̤ (those who recite the Qoran), and singing people, assembled in numbers, and practised ecstasies and religious dancing (wajd and samāʿ), to each of whom, according to the circumstances of his merit and skill, I gave a dress of honour, a farjī, and a shawl. The buildings of this blessed mausoleum have been made very lofty. At this time the money expended satisfied me, and was far more than it had previously been. (The MS.[40] here is clear, and the printed words wrong.)
On the 3rd, after four gharis of day had passed, I marched on from that stage, and having traversed 5½ koss by the river at four gharis of the day, arrived at the next stage. After midday I left the boat and caught seven partridges (durrāj). At the end of the day I gave Rs. 20,000 to Sayyid Ḥasan, the ambassador (of Persia), as a present, and a dress of honour of gold brocade with a jewelled jīg͟ha (turban-ornament), and an elephant, and gave him leave to return, and sent for my brother with him a jewelled jug made in the shape of a cock, which could hold my usual stint of wine. It is hoped that it may reach its destination in safety. I gave leave to Las͟hkar K., who had been appointed to the defence and government of Agra, with a gift of a dress of honour, a horse, an elephant, drums, and a jewelled dagger. Ikrām K. was promoted to the mansab of 2,000 personal and 1,500 horse, and to the duty of faujdār of the Sarkār of Mewāt. He is s. Islām K., who was the grandson of the venerable asylum of pardon S͟haik͟h Salīm, whose excellency of person and approved disposition and connection in blessing with this illustrious family have been described in these pages with the pen of sincerity.